Social Work License from Missouri to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗
Both Missouri and Washington have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Missouri and Washington have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
In Washington the clinical license is the LICSW. Apply for it under that name, whatever your Missouri license is called; boards match by scope, meaning independent diagnosis and treatment, not by initials.
What changes, Missouri → Washington
| Missouri (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $75 (Reciprocity application fee $75 (form MO 375-0901, rev. 8-2025), nonrefundable, payable by cashier's check, money order, personal check or bank draft. Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO/MACHS (amount not stated on the Committee's pages).) | $170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published; fingerprint results are valid for one year. A temporary permit request form exists for reciprocity applicants. | DOH's social worker pages state no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | Missouri State Committee for Social Workers (Division of Professional Registration) | Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are or were credentialed send the DOH verification form directly to the department.
- Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or social work doctorate.
- Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score, or have another state verify it.
- Document supervised experience (3,000 hours over at least 2 years) unless you have been licensed in good standing, with no disqualifying criminal history, for over five years.
- Answer the personal data questions, with records for any professional liability claim.
- Pay the fees ($170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)) and allow DOH's social worker pages state no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Missouri social work license?
Both Missouri and Washington have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Missouri to Washington?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Missouri-to-Washington move cost and how long does it take?
$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.) Processing: DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.
Missouri and Washington are both compact states. Can I practice in Washington on my Missouri license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Washington. You need a Washington license from the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program.
Will Washington accept the supervised hours I completed in Missouri?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Washington's rule, where the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program publishes one, is in the requirements on this page; confirm with the board if your hours were logged under a different structure.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Washington DOH — Social Worker Out-of-State Applicants (probationary license, substantial equivalency, universal licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — Social Worker Licensing Requirements (LICSW) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WAC 246-809-990 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Reciprocity page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Application for Licensure by Reciprocity (MO 375-0901, 8-2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Criminal Background Checks / Fingerprinting instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]